Dreams of the Meghan
by LoverOfAllThingsLegolas
Summary: A girl trying to succeed in England runs into strangers, soggy clothing, and even retail clothing slavery. Then one dude turns out to be more than meets the eye. This is not LotR-themed for a couple chapters, so be patient! NEW - Mystery Man revealed
1. All Dressed Up With No Place To Go

A/n : No, this story is NOT about me! My friend, whose fanfic name is MegHarts, requested that I write a story about her and certain people she dreams of meeting (yes, Meghan, you are only dreaming, no matter how much you think it will happen!!!). Anyways, I hope ya'll enjoy this and know that I am not some conceited freak who is writing about themself. Yeah, that'd be all. Buhbye now.  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
Meg Hearts stepped quickly out of the building, tripped over a cat, and landed facedown in the street gutter. She sighed and turned over, directing her gaze at the structure of stone and steel that loomed mercilessly over her. Where the day had begun - and where it was undoubtedly ending, with the smashing of another dream.  
  
Still, Meg had hope.  
  
She was a 20-year-old American girl all alone in England, desperately trying to get into the University of Oxford, her dream school (why it was her dream school, don't ask me). Trouble was, she first had to scrape together enough money to pay the tuition. She had been scouring countless cities, looking for jobs, but no one wanted to hire her because of certain things that the . . .ahem . . . "president" of her country had done lately. She had been turned away from countless establishments with forced smiles and polite "We don't have any openings at the moment"-s.  
  
Okay, fine, maybe Meg really didn't have any hope.  
  
Feeling the enthusiasm drain from her tired self, she lay in the street gutter, dramatically throwing her arms to the side and heaving great sighs of misery and woe. More than a couple passerbys gave curious glances, but Meg did not notice them in her tortured state. However, it was hard to miss the tall, thin male figure who stopped next to her and commenced staring.  
  
"Um, could you move over a little? You're blocking my sunlight, which is very rare in this horrible foggy country and which I need desperately if I am ever to get a job, or even a life" spoke Meg, gazing up at the face concealed by a ring of sunbeams.  
  
The figure tried to conceal his laughter, but totally cracked up, laughing for what seemed, to Meg, like 5 hours. Once he regained his composure, though, he also recovered his English gentlemanliness and kneeled down next to Meg in the gutter.  
  
"I'm sorry you're not enjoying my country more, Unidentified American Girl. I can't help your feelings about England. But if you really need work, that store across the street seems to be hiring." His voice had a Canterbury accent, and was altogether quite pleasant. Meg's eyes, still dazzled by the sun, couldn't quite make out his face, but it seemed familiar.  
  
Obediently, Meg looked at the spot he was pointing out across the road. There she saw a huge, ornate-looking store with dazzling displays of stylish clothing in its front window. Across the street in front of it was an enourmous, flashing sign that read:  
  
HIRING Young People In Desperate Need of Work W E L C O M E  
  
in fluorescent letters. Meg smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Um, I guess I missed that earlier."  
  
The not-so-strange stranger smiled and shook his head. "Now you know. Well, I have some unfinished business to attend to and I must leave you to your job hunt. Good luck. Oh, and please get out of the gutter." He vanished off into the crowds of businesspeople.  
  
Meg was extremely puzzled. Why did he stop to help her? Why did his voice sound familiar? And why wouldn't her eyes stop seeing sunspots so that she could clearly view his face???  
  
Who was that masked man?  
  
Meg sighed. Whoever he was, he had been v. kind to kneel down in the street and help her. And he was pretty damn hot. Well, what she could see of him was.  
  
She told herself to stop thinking about him, and wearily stood up. That was when Meg noticed that her clothes were covered in dirty water, mud, and other assorted muck. Well, that's what she gets for lying in an English gutter!  
  
"Shut up, you" scowled Meg.  
  
No.  
  
"Fine then! I'll just go back to my flat and change. I'll try for a job tomorrow. Then the sun'll come out."  
  
Meg caught a bus back to her tiny room. She fell asleep before reaching her destination, but woke up just in time to jump off the bus, accidentally leaving her wallet on her seat. She tiredly climbed the stairs, then unlocked the door to 15-A. Meg collapsed on her couch, praying to God that tomorrow would be a better day.  
  
**sorry that this chapter was so boring, but I had to set the scene and stuff.you know how it is. Promise the next will be new and exciting!  
  
- K 


	2. All Dressed Down And Someplace To Go

A/n: So sorry the updation (yes, I invented a new word) takes forever; school is like a black hole, sucking my physical, mental, and spiritual beings in for weeks at a time. Oh, in case you forgot, Meg wants job. Job = $$$. $$$ = Oxford. Okay well here goes! Disclaimer: All snazzy brands belong to mega corporations who don't even need the brands anyway. Expensive's name belongs to its owners, but I invented the interior. 

CHAPTER TWO

Meg gazed up at the intimidating building in front of her. 

EXPENSIVE (yes, there really is a store in Italy named this!!!) was its name, snazzy clothing was its game. And here she was, ready to beg on her knees for a job from the snooty, Versace-wearing store manager. 

Well, it could be worse. 

It could be raining. 

Random storm clouds immediately congregated overhead to dump a freezing torrential rain upon Meg. She gave the narrator a dagger-filled look through the sheets of water. "YOU aren't helping!!" 

Sorry, babe. Just go inside now so there can be some action and the readers will stop crying with boredom. 

Meg grimaced, gathered her breath, and pushed open the heavy platinum door. 

Before she could even register her surroundings, she was blasted in the face by a spray of perfume. And this was no ordinary perfume - this was the kind that causes stone walls to melt in horror and grown men to run away crying. 

Meg spluttered as the aroma of a million tortured, dead flowers got into her mouth. 

"This is the newest fragrance, Cost Cologne, created by our own laboratories here at EXPENSIVE. Care to purchase a bottle? $400.00 for 8 ounces, and- oh." The saleswoman cut herself off. "Are you sure you're in the right store? We don't usually get people..ahem..like yourself." 

Meg regained use of her watering eyes and looked down at herself. Okay, so her clothes weren't branded with designer names and they were drenched with rain water, but at least they were _clean_. She tried her best to look down her nose at the saleswoman, which was not an easy feat, as the snotty woman was much taller. 

"I happen to be looking for a job, but I think I find this establishment unsatisfactory, so I shall not be providing my servi-" Meg was cut off by a suddenly groveling salesperson. 

"Oh I didn't mean any of that you're perfect you're wonderful when can you start???" 

Meg was somewhat taken aback. "Um, right now?" What was going on here? 

"WONNNNNDERFULLLLL." And with that, the saleswoman seized Meg's arm with an iron grip and began to drag her to the back of the store. Meg took this opportunity to examine her surroundings. The store had high, intricately carved ceilings from which modern bright lights shone down. A highly polished wood floor gleamed from under her feet. On clothing racks, perfectly folded and aligned shirts awaited their destinies, jealously glaring at five blouses that were currently being rung up at the register. Rotating, lit-up rows of hangers (whose hooks were all pointing the same way, of COURSE) displayed designer jeans with astonishing price tags. Meg even noticed a marble staircase leading up to second and third floors of shopping paradise. All in all, this place spoke of beauty, money, and status. So why was its staff so eager to hire her, Meg Hearts (who was of course beautiful, but not exactly a status symbol), as its newest employee? 

Meg's thoughts were interrupted as they finally reached a small door that was hidden behind some Vera Wang dresses and labeled Employees Only. 

Surprisingly, the employees' lounge was cramped, dingy, and badly lit. The saleswoman shoved Meg into a collapsing armchair and went over to a control board in the wall, where she punched a few buttons. Immediately, a shelf opened in the wall. On the shelf was a white uniform that looked a lot like a dressy pantsuit (nooo!!! lol ignatius peeps). The shelf also contained a clipboard, which was thrust at Meg. "Sign here. Then, you've got the job." 

Meg felt that something was amiss, but signed quickly, not wanting to miss out on this opportunity. 

Of course, the second she signed, troubles began. 

"You have just agreed to be the first worker of our patented new service, 'Expensive's Everywhere Employees'." 

This was quickly going downhill. "Great. What the hell does that mean?! I thought I was a regular salesperson!" 

"Oh, no. Maybe someday. But for the next 3 years, as you just agreed on this binding contract, you will be part of the E.E.E. This wonderful new service enables the most privileged of our customers to have a v. special helper of their own. You will be assigned to a customer, and for the next 24 hours, must acquiest (sp?) to every single one of their requests." (yay Pirates of the Caribbean!!!) 

Crap. Now this was bad. 

Meg was completely taken aback. "So I'm their slave." 

"Yes." 

"For 24 hours." 

"Yes. And you can begin NOW." 

With that, Meg was pushed out into that cold, cold store which had seemed so welcoming just 10 minutes before. 

She was immediately greeted by another Expensive saleswoman, who simpered down at Meg and waved her in the direction of a rich, fur-clothing-covered (noooooo!!!!) customer. 

"Meet Vainessa de Trauimon." 

Vainessa gave a crocodile smile. 

And Meg's new job began. 

A/n : Yeah, okay, so this got REALLY weird at the end!! I'm so sorry~~! Next chapter, Dreams of the Meghan actually begin to come true...so r/r if you ever want to see that chapter!! 


	3. Her Hero!

A/n: Hello, all you happy little people. Thanks to everyone who has r/r-ed; I love u guys! My updation continues now as we find out how Meg has been faring at Expensive, clothing store from hell .... I finally have enough reviews to reply to all those magical people who commented on this story. Check out the responses at the end. Thanks! 

Disclaimer: Our friend the Hot Stranger owns himself. Some unknown people own the name Expensive, some unknown corporation owns the Sleep Tape (although I made up its highly creative name), and DQ owns Blizzards, sadly. If anyone wants to sell a Blizzard machine, do not hesitate to let me know. 

CHAPTER THREE

Needless to say, since she had been sold into retail slavery, Meg's life had gone somewhat downhill. Still, she had learned a lot about life. Such as: 1) Expensive customers are demanding; 2) Expensive customers are cruel; and 3) Expensive customers don't mind watching others run around every coffee shop in England searching for a seemingly non-existent coffee bean, which led Meg to believe that 4) Some people like seeing others suffer. 

Meg was actually lucky. Instead of learning all these things over a lifetime, the priceless lessons had been crammed into a 3-month period. 

Okay, so she wasn't so lucky. Meg was miserable and searched every day for a way to be freed from her bondage. 

One morning, her customer called to make a cancellation for the basic 24-hour appointment. Meg seized hold of this opportunity like it was a peanut-butter-cup Blizzard, and quickly hid in the staff room. Since it was during Expensive's open hours, no one else was in the room. Meg grabbed an old receipt paper from the dilapidated plastic table and began to write a letter to her mother. 

_Dear Mom, I am doing well in England. I have a job and have learned many lifelong lessons. But I was wondering, is there really such a thing as an Hserfretniw coffee bean?? I'm getting a good deal of exercise; yesterday I ran 14 miles to pick up my customer's pizza before it got cold. I've earned money for college...well, only $14.95 after taxes and employee fees, but...._," 

Meg broke into sobs. She couldn't finish this letter now, not without staining it with tears, which would worry her mother, who could recognize tear-stained letters and who had barely consented to let Meg leave home in the first place (remind you of anyone?). Meg left the staff room, hiding from the other Expensive employees behind some Coach purses. She would never make it out of the store; the doorway saleswoman was busy spraying evil perfumes on entering customers, as usual. 

Meg instead snuck over to the dressing rooms. These were always empty; customers refused to utilize them because they were "pre-used". Shoppers liked the 2nd floor sanitized-after-each-use stalls much better. 

Meg slowly opened the door of the stall that was furthest from the cash register and crept inside. For further safety, she crept into stall's corner alcove and covered herself with the coat of her uniform. Once in, among discarded chrome hangers, she let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. No one would think to look for her here --- not that they would notice her absence, anyway. Her next customer wasn't due until 6:30 AM the next day. Until then, Meg, for the first time in the last 3 months, was FREE. 

She practiced this newfound freedom by whipping out her headphones and Walkman. Pressing "play", she began to listen to her Sleep Tape, a "recording designed to give you the equivalent of a ....deep....sleep....in a short period of time" (excerpt from my very own sleep tape). As Meg visualized herself going down the Escalator to Relaxation, she felt sleepier...and sleepier...and sleepier... 

Suddenly, Meg woke to footsteps coming into the pristine and formerly undisturbed dressing room hallway. She could do nothing but freeze in horror as the door to the stall she was in opened. 

Of course, the gorgeous guy who walked in and set down his bags and coat was none other than the stranger Meg had met on the street 3 months ago. She immediately recognized his profile, which had been haunting her dreams ever since they met. But she still couldn't see his face clearly, as her coat was covering her eyes. 

The mystery dude began taking off his shirt to try on the sweater he was carrying. 

Now Meg was faced with a moral dilemma. She could let him know she was in there, so he wouldn't be embarrassed. 

Or she could be bad and spy on him. 

Meg was just opting for the second option when he accidentally dropped a hanger on her and she let out an exclamation of pain. 

"OUCH!" 

He stared in shock at the alcove. Had that pile of dressy pantsuits just spoken? Then the pile moved. 

"AAAAaaackplth..." He stifled his yell of horror as a girl poked her head out of the pile. She was babbling incoherently. 

"ImsosorryIwasleepingandthenImsosorryImsorrysosorry...." Meg frantically tried to regain her composure as she stared at the ground, away from his shirtless chest. If she had looked up, she would have seen that he had recognized her and was desperately trying not to laugh. 

Just then, the Expensive store manager ran into the hallway. 

"WHAT is going ON?" Hearing only stifled laughter and babbled apologies, the manager opened the door. When she saw the stranger, she immediately became all sweetness and light. But then she turned to Meg. 

Meg gulped in terror as she looked up into the angry, angry face of her employer. 

"Oh sir, we are so terribly sorry for this intrusion. I assure you, she _will_ be severely punished..." 

The stranger, whom Meg was still too scared to look at, interrupted. 

"Oh, no, it's no problem at all." Meg again recognized his Canterbury accent as he continued, "She's my...um...cousin. I've been looking everywhere for her. It is necessary that I talk to her. So...yes, we'll be leaving now." 

"Yes, sir, whatever you like, sir, of course." The surprised and confused manager stepped back as the guy took leaned down and took Meg's hand (which automatically complied) and began to walk briskly out of the store. 

Dazed, Meg looked around at the Expensive people who were all staring at her with strange looks on their faces. 

They pushed through the platinum doors and were outside -how good it felt to smell fresh air again!- and then the stranger began to run. Meg, still holding his hand, ran alongside him, still not looking at his face because the narrator wants to drag out the suspense as long as possible. 

It was on Main Street that Meg realized he still wasn't wearing a shirt. 

Finally, they reached a beautiful and empty little park. The guy took Meg to a secluded pond hidden from the public by a grove of pine trees. 

He sat down on the vibrant green grass, and Meg, still dazed and confused, sat across from him. 

She was finally facing him straight on, and she looked directly into his eyes as she received the biggest shock of her life. 

Her guardian and savior was Orlando Bloom. 

A/n: WOW what a long and action-packed chapter! Next up: Lord of the Rings-ishness and romantic foolishness begin!!!!! Don't worry, the fic will not turn into an homage to Orlando b/c that's not my thing. I know this story is v. weird, but please r/r!! Thank you PS - If u don't know who Orlando is, he plays Legolas Greenleaf (my guy) in the LotR trilogy. Just type in his name on any search engine and you're sure to find some dedicated sites. 

Review Responses: 

bertiebottsgeorge - Sorry for lack of romance so far; I've never written romantic stuff before but I am going to try! Probably Chapter 4 will start the love rolling out. Yes your stories rock and u need to post more!! 

Madeleine - I know u won't read this anyway but yeah bush is evil I totally agree. No! ur not supposed to know who the stranger is! Well, maybe u are. :) 

Yoshi - I'm glad u like it; yes u know who the person is (hopefully) and you'll find out his true identity soon! 

Nosilla - Here is more for u to review!! Thanks for being such a faithful reviewer! It's v. encouraging. 

MegHarts - Glad u like the narrator/character parts; I love writing those and do too many of them (as u can tell) :) I'm so happy to warm the cockles of your heart!! Glad u like my little neat-freak store (we should clean ur room again soon, u know) and the POC reference… Where's my marble statue? Remember, if u mail it, there's a good chance it will never come, so u should deliver it in person. OH and I think that any son of yours named K.Grace is in for an interesting life. Lol --- thanks for the support! 

BlueTwilight24 - Hello my dear sorry to confuse u. I'm just a naturally weird person, but u knew that already :) hehehe Thanks for posting on B behind W!!! 

Purely Graceful - Thanks for the extra reviews, Meghan :) Luv ya! 

THANKS EVERYBODY!!! 


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